The subject application relates generally to corn header assemblies for use with agricultural harvesters. In particular, the subject application relates to an improved corn header assembly that includes a deck plate control system.
Agricultural harvesters that harvest corn are provided with headers having dividers, also generally known as snouts, for directing rows of corn stalks to row units that include ear separation chambers which are defined by deck plates or stripping plates that position the ears of corn for separation from the stalks. The ears of corn are then passed to an auger for conveying the corn to a feeder house of the agricultural harvester. Harvested corn is then processed to the harvester's inner chambers for further processing.
Conventional corn header assemblies use a rock shaft to control the separation of the deck plates (also referred to as the gap). Such deck plate separation designs have a rocker arm mounted vertically to the row unit and a control linkage below the row unit to move the deck plates. As a result, adjustment of the deck plate opening from row to row can be difficult, jerky and imprecise. Mechanical tolerances which are built into such deck plate separation design in order to improve ease of deck plate movement also leads to backlash which affects the operator's ability to properly set the deck plates. Improperly set or poorly adjusted deck plates cause grain loss, ear damage and economic losses. Such designs are also bulky, heavy and take up valuable space underneath the corn header row unit. Further, such designs can generate excess debris which can lead to trash accumulation under the corn header assembly effecting overall header efficiency and operation. In addition, conventional rocker shaft control systems typically control one of the two deck plates of a single row unit which can lead to the deck plate opening (or gap) not being aligned with the center of the row unit stalk rolls. The rocker arm control is typically mounted to the side of the row unit frame and limits, due to space constraints, the minimum row spacing of the row units.